Chapter 6
They go to bed early. No, not like that. They go to bed early because Peter suggests it. He performs a whole show, yawning and saying that he's tired and wants to sleep – Bucky's not buying a single thing. Peter hasn't been himself the whole time after their talk. Quiet throughout the whole movie, quiet during the dinner – he barely picked at the food, didn't chatter about whatever crossed his mind, and didn't even want the dessert. That one was the last straw, and Bucky asked if he got sick. And that's when Peter presented his bullshit about being tired and went to his and Tony's bedroom shortly after. Bucky checked on him in a bit, and the boy just turned his back to him without a word, curled up under the blankets and clearly feigning sleep.
“Guard him.” Bucky whispered to Mark and Dum-E, both having the time of their lives sleeping in the master bed with Peter. Bucky briefly wondered if that's allowed, decided that's whatever and stumbled to his own room. Proceeding to stare into the ceiling above his bed, reconsidering every single one of his life choices – especially the ones that included this current job.
He shoots a message to Steve – just asking what's up – but apparently Steve's up to something with Tony, because none of them appears online. That's probably for the best, considering Steve would've sensed something being off, Bucky would've spilled the beans, and the infamous Rogers’ stare, sad and judging at once, would come out.
He tosses and turns, wrinkling the sheets and messing with the covers. The kid opened up to him, accepted him into the pack – Bucky's mind wanders, picturing the four of them. He snorts. A whole new level of dysfunctional family where one member is more broken than another. ‘Maybe that's what home looks like,’ Steve's voice – or maybe his own inner one, the one that sees past all this bullshit – says in his mind. ‘Being in a family despite how broken you are, being accepted exactly as you really are.’
What did the kid say? Loved. Loving and being loved. Ugh. Sounds straight out of a sappy rom com that Steve secretly watches, thinking Bucky doesn’t know.
“Stupid.” He mutters out to the ceiling, gritting his teeth.
But it doesn’t make him stop wanting it, as stupid as it is. The only thing that’s even dumber is him rejecting the kid – hurting him, no doubt – out of…fear?
Bucky groans. He’s many things, but he's never been a coward. Fear's always been a luxury he couldn't afford. And now it creeped up on him – in the safest environment he’s ever set his foot.
Okay. Okay. Challenge motherfucking accepted. He’ll talk to the kid in the morning.
With this thought, Bucky closes his eyes.
***
When he opens them again, it’s still dark. The fluorescent glow of the clock shows that just a couple of hours has passed, if that. Bucky sits up, rubbing the leftover sleep off his face. Something feels…off. Call it a gut feeling. He pushes himself off the bed, crosses the room in a few wide strides and goes out.
The master bedroom’s door isn’t locked – Tony has strictly forbidden that, and somehow Peter decided to listen to him, for a change.
“Hey, kid?” Bucky whispers, peeking in carefully.
Silence.
He squeezes himself in. The room is swimming in the soft blue glow of the nightlight, and…the shape on the bed doesn’t look like Peter and both dogs. Bucky walks closer, leans over the bed, and-
“Son of a bitch!” He throws the huge, carefully tucked in teddy bear, that was supposed to impersonate sleeping Peter, to the side.
The room is empty.
Bucky doesn't waste any time walking around the house, especially with the dobermans being out of the room too. He fishes out his phone, pulling up the app that’s gonna find the kid's location. Thankfully, Tony made sure to track his baby's phone and to give Bucky the access. The dot on the screen hesitates a bit – and then pops up in Tony's office. Bucky storms out of the bedroom, heading down the hall with a feeling it's not gonna be that easy this time.
The office is opened, despite Bucky most definitely locking the door. He turns on the lights right away, preparing – no, praying – to see the kid there, but no. The office is empty as well. Bucky stares at the dot in his app, then looks around. And here it is. Peter's phone is sitting proudly on Tony's desk. It's not even locked – on the contrary, there's something glowing on the screen. Bucky steps closer and sees a picture of a middle finger. The kid made sure to flip him off in all the ways.
“Oh no you didn't.” Bucky growls out, grabbing the phone and pulling out the security cameras from the desk like Tony showed him.
There's no way Peter could've gotten anywhere, the gate security would've alerted him with any sign of movement – at least that's what Bucky keeps telling himself.
The cameras’ footage, however, presents him with a different reality. He sees it all. Peter sneaks out of the bedroom, a backpack over his shoulder and both dobermans on a leash. The trio goes downstairs, past the kitchen and right into Tony's winery in the basement. That's confusing as hell, and Bucky waits for them to come out of there with a bottle of the most expensive wine or something – but it just never happens. He checks the footage from all cameras – nothing! No movement inside of the mansion. Nothing on the grounds. The only things outside are a couple of cats walking around the neighborhood and a random taxi speeding up down the road.
What the hell.
Bucky spends roughly ten seconds getting everything he needs from his room – better be prepared for anything – and runs to the winery.
He spends a bit more time debating whether he should alert Tony, but decides against it, for now.
What he spends way more time on is gawking at the fucking secret passage nestled behind the wine shelves. The little shit didn't even bother to close the hidden door – thanks God. Bucky steps in, cursing. Tony's never mentioned this way. Which can only mean that he somehow doesn't know about it himself – apparently because Peter managed to keep it a secret. Bucky just can't wait to tell him. Part of him feels like a snitch, but that's a very little part. There are way bigger parts, feeling livid at the kid, hoping he's gonna get it good from Tony – and maybe even wanting to give it to him himself. Should've done it right away instead of that darn timeout! A good old belting, and there wouldn't have been any problems. That stupid talk would've probably never happened, and Bucky would've been in bed instead of walking the goddamn tunnel that seems to last for miles! And most importantly, the kid would've been in bed, and not hell knows where with hell knows who and getting into hell knows what – definitely dangerous. Bucky grits his teeth, speeding up.
The tunnel ends abruptly with some faint light, as if there's a window. Bucky pushes the wooden rectangle and climbs out. He finds himself surrounded by the trees, pale light seeping in. It takes him a couple of seconds to figure it out – he's right outside the mansion territory, the fence not so far behind. One of the very few gray areas not covered by the cameras properly. He looks around, but of course, the kid is nowhere to be seen.
“It's not a fucking game, you little dumbass…” He presses his lips into a tight line, fishing Peter's phone out of his pocket and staring at the fuck you picture the kid left for him.
Okay, he climbed out of the passage here, but where did he get next?! The cameras should've caught him, if only he didn't turn into a cat, or-
Wait a minute…
Bucky smacks his forehead. What an idiot!!!
He hastily opens the list of recent calls in Peter's phone – and, bingo. Here it is. The taxi. Little Mr. Smarty pants obviously realized Tony would be alerted if he used his card ordering an Uber – and called a taxi, apparently paying in cash. Left his phone at home so it won't be tracked, and used the hidden tunnel out of the cameras’ reach.
Bucky nearly crushes the phone, dialing the taxi number.
It doesn't take a long time to convince the manager to give him Peter's destination. Just talking about the kid forgetting his phone and it being dangerous (basically not even a lie) and the taxi company being in big trouble if they wouldn't help him out (definitely not a lie).
By the time Bucky's back on the grounds and in the garage, he knows where exactly Peter's heading. He needs the fastest vehicle.